Palisades Charter High School students resumed in-person learning on April 22, 2025, at a temporary campus in Santa Monica after a fire in January severely damaged their original site in Pacific Palisades. The school, which had been operating remotely for nearly three months, is now housed in a converted former Sears building. The transition marks a major step in the community’s recovery efforts, aiming to restore normalcy and improve learning conditions for more than 2,400 students.
The return to classrooms comes after months of work by state and local officials to ensure safe and timely reopening. Governor Gavin Newsom, who visited the new site to welcome students back, emphasized that supporting schools has been a top priority since the Southern California wildfires broke out. Newsom previously signed an executive order to speed up the reopening process and directed school campuses to be prioritized in debris removal efforts to allow for faster rebuilding.
Debris at the original Palisades High site was cleared last month, and the school is now one of eight public schools damaged by the Eaton and Palisades fires to resume in-person instruction. Officials say converting the Sears location in Santa Monica provided a practical solution to bring students together in one location, offering stability and structure after months of disruption.
Leave a Reply